People who suffer from diabetes require insulin to keep their blood glucose level as close as possible to normal levels. It is essential for people with diabetes to manage their blood glucose level to within a normal range. Complications from diabetes can include heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy). Insulin is a hormone that reduces the level of blood glucose in the body. Normally, insulin is produced by beta cells in the pancreas. In non-diabetic people, the beta cells release insulin to satisfy two types of insulin needs. The first type is a low-level of background insulin that is released throughout the day. The second type is a quick release of a higher-level of insulin in response to eating. Insulin therapy replaces or supplements insulin produced by the pancreas.
Conventional insulin therapy typically involves one or two injections a day. The low number of injections has the disadvantage of allowing larger variations in a person's insulin levels. Some people with diabetes manage their blood glucose level with multiple daily injections (MDI). MDI may involve more than three injections a day and four or more blood glucose tests a day. MDI offers better control than conventional therapy. However, insulin injections are inconvenient and require a diabetic person to track the insulin doses, the amount of carbohydrates eaten, and their blood glucose levels among other information critical to control.
It is important for a diabetic person to be treated with the proper amount of insulin. As discussed previously, high blood sugar can lead to serious complications. Conversely, a person with low blood sugar can develop hypoglycemia. Ideally, insulin therapy mimics the way the body works. An insulin pump is one way to mimic the body's insulin production. An insulin pump can provide a background or basal infusion of insulin throughout the day and provide a quick release or bolus of insulin when carbohydrates are eaten. If a person develops high blood sugar, a correction bolus can be delivered by the pump to correct it. While insulin pumps improve convenience and flexibility for a diabetic person, they can be sophisticated devices. Some insulin pumps can be difficult to program. It is desirable for an insulin pump to have features that make the pump more convenient or more effective for the patient to use.
Overview
This document discusses, among other things, devices and methods for assisting a diabetic person manage insulin therapy. A device example includes a pump configured to deliver insulin, a processor, and a user interface that includes a bistable display. A display element of the bistable display is placed in one of two stable orientations upon application of a biasing voltage. The display element stays in the stable orientation when the biasing voltage is removed. The processor includes a display module configured to display a non-blank reversion display screen on the bistable display when no input is received at the user interface after a specified time duration, and to recurrently change the reversion display screen until input is received at the user interface.
A method example includes providing a bistable display on a device having an insulin pump, reverting the display to a non-blank reversion display screen when no input is received at a user interface after a specified time duration, and recurrently changing the reversion display screen until input is received at the user interface.
This section is intended to provide an overview of subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detailed description is included to provide further information about the subject matter of the present patent application.